Improvement in barrels



H. C. SHEFFIELD.

BARREL.

No. 175,177. Patented March 21,1876.

Ewen/i507: c? lo@ DLPEHS; FHCTWLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFEIGEc 'HENRY CLAY SHEFFIELD, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN BARRELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,177, dated March 21, 1876 application iled January 3, 1876.

To al( whom it may concern:

Be it known that LHENRY CLAY SHEE- FIELD, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain Improvement in Barrels, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to barrels, casks, and -similar packages made of thin, sheets or veneers of wood.

My improvement consists in making such packages of two hollow cylinders of veneers, rolled one upon the other, and suitably hooped and headed, the exterior cylinder, formed of one or more pieces of veneer, having the grain of the Wood running vertically-that is, parallel to the axis of the barrel-while the grain `of the wood of the inner cylinder, which consists of a single piece,runs horizontally, or at right angles to that of the outer one.

Double-walled barrels of this kind, as heretofore made, had in some cases the grain of the wood of one cylinder cross that ot' the other, but in every instance of this kind brought to my knowledge the grain of the exterior cylinder run horizontally or circularly, and the interior cylinder was composed of a series of staves.

A barrel thus made is of very little practical value, because, under the rough usage to which such packages are subjected, the exterior cylinder is apt to split around, which gives an opportunity to the hoops to work loose, causing the barrel to fall to pieces. This and other difiiculties are fully overcome by the method of construction adopted by me. It willalso be seen that the tendency of the interior cylinder to expand will keep the hoops tight, and that, even should it split around, its efficacy will be maintained, because it is confined at both ends between the heads of the barrel; in fact, it may be formed of several rings without seriously affecting the strength and durability ofthe barrel, although I prefer to make it of a single piece of veneer, as heretofore stated.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is an elevation of my improved barrel. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan or end view, portion ot' the upper disk of' the head being shown as broken away to illustrate the grain of the wood of the lower or interior disk thereof. Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view otone end ot' the barrel, fully showing how the grain of the wood runs in the diii'erent parts.

The same letters of reference are used in all the figures in the designation of identical parts.

In constructing this barrel the inner cylinder A is iirst rolled upon a suitable former, then the outer cylinder B is rolled up on the interior cylinder, and the hoops C applied at the same time, and nails driven through the hoops at proper intervals. Ihe ends of the interior cylinder may be chamfered down, as shown, and made to overlap each other. The ends of the hoops are also lap-jointed, and the exterior point is fastened down by a staple, c, as shown in Fig. 1. The interior cylinder has the grain of the Wood running circularly at right angles to the vertical grain of the exterior cylinder, which is also somewhat longer, so that the former provides a shoulder at each end on the interior of the barrel. The heads D are placed upon these shoulders, and secured by the linings E. Each head-is composed of two circular pieces of veneer, so secured to each other that the grain of one piece crosses that of the other.

I am aware that boxes and similar packages have heretofore been made of several layers of veneers of wood glued together, and the grain of one layer crossing that of the adjacent layers. From these packages my barrel is clearly distinguished, in this, that it is composed of separate layers of veneers merely rolled one upon the other without glueing them together, which is the only practical mode of construction in large packages. Moreover, in the boxes referred to the outer layer of veneers had the grain run invariably in a circular manner, which arrangement would render a barrel or other large package ernbodying it practically useless, for the reasons already stated.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As n new article of manufacture, the barrel, In testimony whereof I have signed my substantially as described, constructed of a name to the foregoing specitieation in the presseparute inner veneer-shell having the grain ence of two subscribing witnesses. run oircularly, :L separate layer 0f veneer 1 merely rolled upon the inner shell, and hav- HENRY (JLAY SHEFFIELD' ing the grain run lengthwise ofthe barrel, Witnesses: hoops for holding the body of the barrel to- B. EDW. J. ElLs, gether, and heads. JOHN EILs. 

